I've just purchased a beautiful 300 SDL that was well cared for by a friend of mine who was the original owner. The front seats have had sheepskins on them since the day she took delivery so the interior is unbelievable for a car its age... no cracks in the dash or trim, etc.
The engine has 129K and has been serviced every 5K. No leaks to be found, lots of new parts over the past few years including a rebuilt tranny that is tight but smooth. The only concern I have is that while going through the service records, I found that 3K ago, her mechanic noted that turbo boost was low and that it should be "replaced at a later date".
The car seems to have adequate power but not like a V8 as some people have compared the engine to. I was told by a Mercedes mechanic that MB warrants the turbo for the life of the car and will replace it at no cost if it was damaged by a faulty soot collector. He recommended bringing it into their service dept to check it out.
My first question: Does anyone know a way for me to determine this without taking the car to the dealer?
Second question: Although I love everything about this car, I'm thinking that it isn't the right car for me since my business requires hauling boxes of equipment and a handtruck! I originally fell in love with the idea of 30mpg for all of the driving I do, but I've come to the conclusion that the car is too nice to ruin by my using it inappropriately. I would rather see it go to someone who would give it the respect it deserves! So where is the best place on the web to advertise it so it is seen by that person?
Thanks for reading, and sorry for the length of the post!